The first conversation is free and carries no obligation. If we need to review documents or carry out research, we agree the scope and cost first. If investigation is unlikely to answer your question, or a cheaper route exists, we say so then, rather than quoting for work that will not help.
Three ways we quote
Which one applies depends on how predictable the work is. Most engagement letters use one of the three; a larger instruction may combine them, with each element priced separately.
Fixed fee
- Suits
- A defined desk-based task
- What controls cost
- Agreed scope and deliverables
Day or half-day rate
- Suits
- Fieldwork
- What controls cost
- Authorised operatives and time
Capped estimate
- Suits
- Work whose extent is uncertain
- What controls cost
- Agreed rate and spending cap
Fixed feeDefined desk-based tasks
Most commonUsed where the task has a clear beginning and end: tracing an individual, a pre-employment screen, a due-diligence report on a counterparty, a takedown request. The quote defines the work and deliverables covered by the fixed fee. Any proposed change to that scope and its cost is agreed with you in writing before additional work begins.
A fixed fee buys the work, not the outcome. If a trace does not locate the person, or a screen finds nothing of concern, the fee is still earned; the report tells you what was checked and what it showed.
Day or half-day rateSurveillance and other fieldwork
FieldworkSurveillance is quoted per operative per day or half-day, because the cost is driven by people and hours rather than by the question. The quote states how many operatives the task needs and why. Staffing depends on the task and risk assessment.
The engagement letter sets out how many days are authorised, the notice needed to cancel or move a day, and what happens if the subject does not appear. You are never billed for days that were not authorised in advance.
Capped estimateOpen-ended investigative work
Time-basedUsed where we cannot know at the start how far the work will run: an online harassment investigation that may involve several accounts, a fraud enquiry that widens as documents come in. We quote an hourly or daily rate with a cap, and we do not pass the cap without your written agreement.
You are told when the work reaches a natural checkpoint, usually with a short interim note, so that the decision to continue is yours and made on evidence.
What a quote includes
Unless the engagement letter says otherwise, the quoted figure covers:
- Planning and briefing of whoever carries out the work.
- The operatives, analysts, and standard equipment the task needs.
- The written report and evidence pack described in what you receive.
- A follow-up conversation to go through the findings.
Disbursements are charged at cost and listed separately. They are the items we pay a third party for on your behalf: travel and accommodation outside the agreed operating area, court and registry fees, overseas enquiry agents, and specialist services such as forensic examination of a device. Any disbursement above a threshold agreed in the engagement letter is cleared with you before it is incurred.
Quotes state the total you will pay, including any VAT.
Deposits and payment
For private clients we normally ask for a deposit before fieldwork begins, with the balance on delivery of the report. The deposit and the balance are both stated in the engagement letter. Organisations that instruct us regularly are invoiced on the terms set out in their retainer or engagement letter.
Follow the payment instructions on your invoice or separately agreed with us. Our bank details are provided on your invoice. You can also pay your invoice online using your invoice number and the amount to pay. Please quote the invoice number with your payment. Harwick Intelligence Limited may appear in your banking app or on your statement. If you use a shared account, read our payment privacy guidance before paying.
If the picture changes
Investigations rarely run exactly as scoped. Three rules apply whenever they move:
- Extra work is agreed first. If what we find suggests a wider or different enquiry, we set out the options and the cost of each in writing. Nothing outside the original scope is started until you approve it.
- You can stop at any time. You pay for work done and disbursements committed up to that point, and you receive a report on what was established so far.
- We may stop too. If continuing would need unlawful methods, or we find the purpose is not what we were told, we end the engagement and say why. See our terms of engagement.
What you never pay for
Included
- An initial conversation to understand your question and whether we can help
- A written quote or engagement letter
- Being told that investigation is the wrong route
- A referral to free specialist support where that is the right first step
Never added
- Work outside the scope you agreed
- Surveillance days that were not authorised in advance
- Disbursements you were not told about
- An extra charge for the follow-up conversation included in your quote
Paying for work, not outcomes
No investigator can honestly guarantee a result, and a fee that depends on one creates the wrong incentive. We charge for the work carried out. What we do promise is to tell you early if the evidence is pointing to a dead end, so that you can stop before the cost mounts, and to report the negative as carefully as the positive.
Retainers for organisations
For repeat instructions, we can discuss a written arrangement setting out the work covered, fees, response times, and available capacity. Details are on the page for businesses.